Jimmy Arteaga, the Skipper of the assist event
and crew member Simon Forrester. Photo by Alan Turner-Morris.

This is what the faces of everyday heroes look like. These two
gentlemen, trained volunteers and members of the Broken Bay Marine Rescue unit,
were making one of their routine patrols on Saturday 16th of March through
Coasters Retreat when they were hailed by the owner of one vessel and informed
of a near drowning that had occurred on an adjacent yacht. A young child had
fallen overboard and a mother, a poor swimmer, had gone into the water to rescue
this child. Both were quickly swept away from near the yacht by a strong
current, the mother holding the child up above the water and swallowing a lot
herself by being underwater.

Her husband had been able to retrieve the child and his wife
from the water but due to her being submerged she had gone to lie down in the
forward cabin 40 minutes since and her husband was finding it difficult to wake
her. Skipper Arteaga was asked to assess the gentleman's wife while he looked
after their two children. He too found her difficult to wake and when she did,
it was only to mention she was cold before becoming unconscious again. Her
breathing was shallow. It was clear she needed medical assistance as soon as
possible.

The skipper of BB20 on duty radioed BBMR base and requested
paramedics to be sent, which they promptly were by BB30 and the lady was
transferred to shore at the Bayview base and to hospital. Her husband,
accompanying her with their two children, expressed his sincere thanks to Jimmy
Arteaga and Simon Forrester.

We don't often get to share small insights into the events and
incidents Broken Bay Marine Rescue
have to attend due to the nature of these events and our own policy of
protecting the privacy of those involved. When we can we like to remind all that
heroes walk quietly beside us, determined to keep the safety of life at sea
(SOLAS).